New York

Welcome, all of us together, to the city I've dreamed of since childhood — New York, with its yellow cabs, skyscrapers and every corner a movie scene 🗽💛 From 16–26 March 2026 we explored the city step by step for 10 days with our 15-month-old son Kai. In this guide you'll find an efficient 10-day itinerary built from our own experience, our tips for New York with a baby, and plenty of food and drink recommendations.

Could we ever go to New York without some drama? Chaos again, that's us 😅 I forgot that my US visa was in my old passport, went to the airport with just one passport and couldn't get through passport control :D It took my dad an hour to go home and bring the passport; meanwhile baggage drop closed and we missed the flight. Even though the plane was empty, nobody helped us switch to the next flight for free — they couldn't have cared less whether we had a baby or not :)

Anyway, we paid a small fortune for new tickets on the next day's noon flight. Between food and naps in the lounge the time flew by, and the little one was well fed. This time we flew economy and it went really smoothly with Kai; he slept 5–6 hours of the flight, and for the rest we read books and played. We landed at JFK at night and made our way into the city by AirTrain and subway. I'll never forget the moment we came up the lift onto the street 🥹 You were like a dream, New York 😄

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Our lesson: Take the passport your visa is in. If you're travelling on a valid visa that's still in an old passport, you need both passports with you.

New York is made up of five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island. Visitors spend most of their time in Manhattan, with Brooklyn the second favourite. With more than 8 million people and over 200 languages spoken on its streets, it's no exaggeration to call it the most cosmopolitan city in the world.

Most of Manhattan is a grid: avenues run north–south, streets run east–west, and they're numbered. Once you get the logic, you start finding your way without even looking at a map. The city lives 24/7 — even the subway doesn't close at night 🌃

1. 01
   

   Times Square

   Once known as Longacre Square, it changed its name in 1904 when The New York Times moved its building here. Today, with its giant screens, Broadway theatres and crowds that never stop day or night, it's America's most iconic corner. See it after dark — the effect is something else. The TKTS booth under the red steps sells discounted tickets for same-day Broadway shows.

2. 02
   

   Bryant Park & New York Public Library

   A green oasis in the middle of Midtown where office workers catch their breath at lunch; in winter there's an ice rink and a Christmas market. The library right next door opened in 1911; the two lions at the entrance are called Patience and Fortitude. The magnificent reading room inside can be visited for free.

3. 03
   

   Grand Central Terminal & One Vanderbilt

   Opened in 1913, this train station is as grand as a palace. The constellations on the green-blue ceiling of the main concourse are painted in reverse — as if you're looking at the sky from outside. Right next door, at the top of One Vanderbilt, is the mirror-clad SUMMIT observation deck.

4. 04
   

   Empire State Building

   Built in just 410 days in 1931, it remained the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years. It has starred in countless films, from King Kong to Sleepless in Seattle; you can't leave without going up to the open-air terrace on the 86th floor and living one of those movie scenes.

5. 05

   Chrysler Building

   When it was completed in 1930 it was briefly the tallest building in the world — until the Empire State was built. With its stainless-steel crown fanning out like sunrays, it's Art Deco at its most elegant; when it winks at you between the side streets, you'll recognise it instantly.

6. 06
   

   Rockefeller Center & Top of the Rock

   A complex of 19 Art Deco buildings built in the 1930s. The giant Christmas tree and ice rink set up in December are etched into all our memories from films like Home Alone 2. From Top of the Rock, the Empire State is part of your view. Radio City Music Hall and NBC Studios are right next door.

7. 07
   

   St. Patrick's Cathedral & 5th Avenue

   Opened in 1879, the cathedral is America's largest Neo-Gothic Catholic church, offering a completely different kind of quiet among the luxury shops of 5th Avenue. 5th Avenue itself is the city's most famous shopping street.

8. 08

   The Plaza Hotel

   Built in 1907 on the corner of Central Park, this hotel is the star of Home Alone 2. The hotel closes in January 2027 for a restoration expected to take at least four years — so Christmas 2026 may be your last chance for a long while to see the Plaza in its Christmas decorations 🎄

9. 09
   

   Central Park

   Opened in 1858 and, at 341 hectares, bigger than even Monaco, the park is the city's lungs. Don't think "we'll just have a quick stroll" — set aside at least two visits. Not to be missed: • The Mall & Bethesda Fountain: the tree-lined promenade and the angel fountain at its end, a classic scene from countless series. • Strawberry Fields: the corner dedicated to John Lennon; there's always a Beatles song being played around the "Imagine" mosaic on the ground. • Sheep Meadow: a meadow where sheep really did graze until the 1930s; today it's New Yorkers' picnic spot. • The Lake: in summer you can rent a rowing boat and have a true movie moment. • Wollman Rink: ice skating in winter, with the Manhattan skyline behind.

10. 10
    

    High Line & Chelsea Market

    Once an elevated railway used by freight trains, after it was abandoned it was turned — instead of being demolished — into a 2.3-kilometre park walkway that opened in 2009. Along the way there are planted gardens, artworks and city views between the streets. Chelsea Market, where it begins, is a former Nabisco biscuit factory; the building where the Oreo was invented now houses dozens of food stalls.

11. 11
    

    Vessel & The Edge (Hudson Yards)

    Vessel, made of interlocking honeycomb-like staircases, reopened in March 2026 with safety barriers after a long closure, and can be visited with a timed ticket. The glass-floored open-air terrace of nearby The Edge, on the other hand, is not for anyone afraid of heights :)

12. 12
    

    9/11 Memorial & Museum

    Around the edges of the two giant pools where the Twin Towers stood are the names of the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives. It's a very emotional place; allow at least 2 hours for the museum. The white, wing-like Oculus station right next door is also worth seeing.

13. 13
    

    Wall Street & Charging Bull

    The financial centre of the world. The bronze bull an artist left here without permission after the 1987 stock-market crash was loved so much that it became permanent. Fraunces Tavern, serving as a tavern since 1762, is one of the city's oldest spots; George Washington bid farewell to his officers here.

14. 14
    

    Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

    A gift from France for the 100th anniversary of American independence, the statue opened in 1886; its inner skeleton was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the engineer of the Eiffel Tower. Between 1892 and 1954, 12 million immigrants set foot in America through Ellis Island. The only official seller of island ferries is Statue City Cruises; the ticket covers the museums on both islands.

15. 15
    

    MoMA

    Founded in 1929, the Museum of Modern Art has one of the world's most important modern art collections. Van Gogh's The Starry Night, Dalí's The Persistence of Memory, Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and Monet's Water Lilies are here. Adult tickets are 30 USD. MoMA PS1 in Queens is a separate museum — don't mix them up.

16. 16
    

    The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

    Founded in 1870, America's largest art museum: a 5,000-year collection from Egypt's Temple of Dendur to the Van Goghs. Gossip Girl fans will recognise the front steps instantly. You can't finish it in a day; choose what you want to see in advance. Closed on Wednesdays; adult tickets are 30 USD.

17. 17

    Guggenheim & Museum Mile

    Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and opened in 1959, the spiral building is as famous as the works inside it. It's a little north of the MET; squeezing both into the same day can be tiring. Nearby, the Neue Galerie holds Klimt's famous golden portrait of Adele.

18. 18

    Whitney Museum of American Art

    Focused on American artists, the museum moved in 2015 into its Renzo Piano–designed building; the views of the Hudson River from its terraces are wonderful. Free for everyone on Friday evenings, 17:00–22:00.

19. 19
    

    Flatiron Building & Madison Square Park

    Completed in 1902, the triangular, iron-shaped building is one of the city's first skyscrapers. Don't forget to look at it from straight across. You can rest in Madison Square Park, and if you're Friends fans, stop by The Friends Experience nearby.

20. 20
    

    Chinatown & Little Italy

    A trip to two different countries within a few streets. In Chinatown, wander Mott and Pell Street and watch the aunties playing mahjong in Columbus Park. Little Italy on Mulberry Street was once much bigger; today it's a nostalgic corner of a few streets — Lombardi's, which claims to be America's first pizzeria, is here too.

21. 21
    

    Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO

    When it opened in 1883 it was the world's longest suspension bridge and the first to use steel wire. The walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn takes 30–45 minutes; you get on at City Hall on the Manhattan side and come off at Adams Street on the Brooklyn side. DUMBO stands for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass"; the Manhattan Bridge shot from the corner of Washington and Water Street is one of the city's most famous photos.

22. 22
    

    Brooklyn Heights Promenade

    A waterfront walkway looking out at the Manhattan skyline from among brownstone houses. Go at sunset 🌅

23. 23
    

    Harlem & Rucker Park

    The heart of African-American culture from the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s to today. The legendary Apollo Theater and Rucker Park, the temple of street basketball, are here; many NBA stars have played on this court in its summer tournaments.

24. 24
    

    Washington Square Park

    With its marble arch completed in 1892 and its fountain, it's the heart of Greenwich Village; a musician on every corner, chess players and NYU students.

In New York, food is a reason to travel in itself: pizza by the slice, pastrami sandwiches, bagels, cheesecake, halal food… In 10 days we ate as much as we could 😋

At first glance New York might look like a hard city with a baby, but our experience was the exact opposite: with its parks, playgrounds and everything within walking distance, we saw everywhere we wanted in 10 days with 15-month-old Kai 💛

Some links in this section are affiliate links; we earn a small commission on bookings made through them at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep the blog going — thank you 💛

If it's your first time in New York, you can use this itinerary as a base. The logic is simple: • One area a day: places within walking distance on the same day — no shuttling from one end of the city to the other by subway. • Crowded places early: the Statue of Liberty ferry, Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State are much calmer in the morning. • At most one big museum a day: MoMA, the Met and the Natural History Museum on separate days — each needs at least half a day. • Book tickets in advance: timed online tickets for observation decks, museums and the ferry. • Keep the last day flexible: for anything you missed, or a rainy day.

1. Day 1

   Hello, Midtown

   Start with Bryant Park and the New York Public Library; see Grand Central Terminal's main concourse and look up at the Chrysler Building between the streets. In the late afternoon go up the Empire State and watch the city lights from above; end the day at night in Times Square.

2. Day 2

   Rockefeller, 5th Avenue & MoMA

   Top of the Rock in the morning; then Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall and St. Patrick's Cathedral. MoMA in the afternoon. In the evening, walk 5th Avenue window-shopping.

3. Day 3

   Central Park & Museum Mile

   In the morning, enter the park in front of The Plaza: The Mall, Bethesda Fountain, The Lake, Bow Bridge. The Met in the afternoon; if there's time, see the Guggenheim from outside and stop by the Neue Galerie for Klimt.

4. Day 4

   Upper West Side & Harlem

   The American Museum of Natural History in the morning; then Strawberry Fields and Sheep Meadow on the west side of Central Park. In the afternoon, take the subway to Harlem: the Apollo Theater, Rucker Park, the murals and dinner at Red Rooster.

5. Day 5

   Statue of Liberty & Financial District

   The first ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (set aside half a day). On the way back, Battery Park, Charging Bull, Wall Street and lunch at Fraunces Tavern. In the afternoon, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Oculus and Brookfield Place.

6. Day 6

   SoHo, Chinatown, Little Italy & Lower East Side

   Breakfast in SoHo, then a walk through the boutique streets. Lunch at Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown; from Mott and Mulberry Street on to Little Italy. In the evening, the Lower East Side: a bagel at Russ & Daughters or pastrami at Katz's.

7. Day 7

   Hudson Yards, High Line & Chelsea

   Vessel and The Edge in the morning; walk the High Line from north to south. Lunch at Chelsea Market. In the afternoon, the Whitney Museum (free on Friday evenings) and the Meatpacking District.

8. Day 8

   Greenwich Village, West Village & Flatiron

   In the morning, the Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park, then Union Square. In the afternoon, Washington Square Park, Bleecker Street and the tree-lined streets of the West Village — don't skip the Friends apartment either. Dinner at Minetta Tavern or Buvette.

9. Day 9

   Brooklyn

   Early in the morning, walk the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn. The Manhattan Bridge shot in DUMBO, Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade at sunset. Dinner at Lucali in Carroll Gardens (put your name on the list at 16:00).

10. Day 10

    Williamsburg or a flexible day

    Domino Park and vintage shops in Williamsburg (and the Smorgasburg food market if it's the weekend); or keep it for a museum you missed, some shopping and one last walk in Central Park. Make your farewell meal a slice of Joe's Pizza 🍕

You can find our New York memories in our Instagram post 💛